In winter, birds may have difficulty finding food in the wild such as berries, insects, seeds, worms and fruit, so an extra meal from either your kitchen or some commercially available bird food will help keep them going. Birds also benefit from our help at other times of the year when food is scarce or difficult to find, such as during particularly dry summers or when certain types of food - like seeds - are scarce in the spring.

Treats you can put out for birds include peanuts in shells threaded together on string, unsalted peanuts in feeders, wild bird seed (widely available in shops and garden centres or from CJ WildBird Foods), crumbled or grated cheese, pastry, stale cake, breadcrumbs (moisten if the bread is very dry), cooked rice and pasta, fat from chops and bacon rind, raisins and other dried fruit (soaked in water first) and bruised fruit like apples and pears. Remember to remove surplus food from the surrounding area daily and regularly clean your bird table thoroughly with a mild disinfectant, rinsing with fresh water. This will avoid the spread of disease.

Birds also need plenty of water to drink and to bathe in. Change the water and clean the bowl daily using a mild disinfectant, remembering to rinse the bowl thoroughly. Also remember to keep the water free of ice during very cold weather.

Further information on feeding birds can be found in the RSPCA's Animal Care section.